Concrete Angel
by My Lady Ophelia
Summary: Kitty and Pyro never stopped thinking about each other, but they won't admit it. When fate brings them together again, sparks begin to fly, but that's not necessarily a good thing. And when the cure begins to wear off, everything starts heading downhill..
1. Chapter 1 Through the Wind and the Way

**Chapter 1: Through the Wind and The Rain  
**  
Pyro stood behind Magneto's desk in the Brotherhood's underground headquarters. He remembered when there were hundreds of mutants here, waiting for their chance to destroy the humans. He slumped into the metal chair, leaned his elbows on the desk, head in hands. The cold of the metal bit into his skin even through his jacket and long sleeved shirt. Most of the Brotherhood had hated the all-metal hideout, complaining that it was too cold. Pyro had never minded though; the cold was something solid, something he could hold on to and focus on. It had been three months since Alcatraz. _Three months_. He still couldn't believe it. Three months since Magneto had been given the Cure, the Brotherhood had nearly fallen completely apart, Dr. Grey had been killed, and since he had seen _her_. Pyro leaned back in the chair. He hated thinking about her. He hated realizing that he thought about her. Back at the school, he'd thought about her every day. After he left, he thought about her more than once a day. He didn't know why. Well, yes he did, but if anyone was a master of denial and suppressing their emotions, it was Pyro. As far as he was concerned, he didn't know why she haunted his thoughts, and he probaboly never would. Not that it mattered. Not that she mattered to him. Because she didn't! Absolutely not! He didn't need anyone. Hadn't needed anyone since... Pyro shook his head sharply, and leaned forward to examine the new computer in front of him, searching for the right e-mail accounts. He had to stay focused on the task at hand. He was the leader of the Brotherhood now. He couldn't afford to be distracted, especially not be little girls with soft brown eyes and a pixie's face who barely reached his shoulder. He remembered how out of place that delicate figure had looked at Alcatraz.. Kitty, who had never hurt a fly, was standing in front of the lab, prepared to _fight_, actually _fight_! As insane as it seemed, even then, and he'd never told anyone about it, a very very small part of him had wanted to whisk her away, and put her on the next flight to one of those art museums in New York she loved to visit. He'd wanted to spare her from the battle, to save her somehow. Pyro scowled. What was the matte with him anyway?! He shouldn't be thinking that sort of crap! She was nothing but a little girl, and she had been downright annoying, too. At least she was when he'd been at the school. Pyro kept clicking on the computer until he'd selected all of the Brotherhood members in the e-mail address book. He began typing a letter to the entire group. He could hear the rain starting to patter outside as he clicked the "send" button, trying to ignore his memories of a pretty girl. He could see his reflection in the metal of the desk, but it wasn't clear. Because of the ripples in the metal, he looked distorted and disfigured, only a shadow of what he actually was showing through.  
Kitty Pryde stood in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in Manhatten, staring at the Monet in front of her, a museum guide map clutched in one hand. It was the _Garden at Sainte-Adresse_, one of her favorites. No matter how many times she visited here or at any other museum, the Monets were always her favorites. She moved on through the other galleries. She stopped at a rather unsettling image. _The Rape of Tamar_ by Eustache Le Sueur. Kitty shuddered as she looked at it. The violence in the painting disturbed her, and she quickly turned and walked away. She strode over to one of the windows and stared out at the city. Ever since Alcatraz three months ago (had it really been that long? she wondered), she couldn't stand anything that was violent or hurtful in any way. Kitty reached up her hand and traced swirls across the cool glass. She knew that her teachers and friends at the school were worried about her, about how "poorly" she was coping with the trauma of Alcatraz. Kitty thought that was bull, and they were full of it. She was tired of watching people die and get hurt; there was nothing wrong with not wanting to think about that kind of stuff! Most days she suceeded in her quest for a serene atmosphere around her. It was inside that she was having trouble. She kept having nightmares about Alcatraz. They always frightened her. And they always reminded her of _him_. The nightmares only haunted her nights. He haunted her every waking moment, and most times her nights as well. She'd been able to see him there, standing in front of the bridge, held aloft by a pile of rubble. He'd looked taller than before, and his hair had been different. Kitty knew that _he _was different. After all, there he was, prepared to fight them kill them if he needed to. He'd tried to kill Bobby. Everyone had seen it happen. Everyone but her. Maybe that was why she still couldn't believe it. Why she still hoped that the boy with the chip on his shoulder and eyes the color of the ocean would come walking back through that mansion door and start picking on her again, she had no idea. So many people had died. She didn't want to think that John had died, too. Kitty sighed and leaned her forehead against the pane of glass as the rain began pouring down. She could see her face in the glass, with the rain reflecting onto her features, and it looked for all the world like she was crying.


	2. Chapter 2 Prob'ly Wouldn't Be This Way

**Chapter 2: Prob'ly Wouldn't Be This Way**

_I prob'ly wouldn't be this way_

_I prob'ly wouldn't hurt this bad_

Kitty opened bleary eyes to the world. Laying flat on her back, she stared up at the ceiling for a moment, then turned her head to stare out the window. It was sunny, and beautiful, and calm. But the sunshine seemed out of place, and she felt like she should be in the dark, running, surrounded by debris and screams. She should be at Alcatraz, she realized. Kitty reached up to touch her cheek. It was still wet with the flow of her tears. And then she remembered; she'd had another nightmare about the battle. She turned her head, facing into her bedroom, away from the light.

_I never pictured every minute without you in it_

_Oh you left so fast_

John had been there. Kitty crossed her arms over her chest, and curled into a ball. John was in all her nightmares. Kitty closed her eyes for three heartbeats, then forced herself to throw off her bedspread and pad into her bathroom. When she'd graduated high school in the spring, Storm had moved her into one of the larger rooms, so she could have a little more privacy as she developed her adult life. Kitty had always appreciated the solitude, especially as it became apparent that her nightmares wouldn't be ending any time soon. Quickly shedding her pajamas in the cool morning air, she reached into the shower and turned the water up until the bathroom was filled with steam. She stepped inside and let the water relax her taught muscles. Kitty tilted her head back and let the stream wash her tears away.

_Everybody thinks I've lost my mind _

_But I just take it day by day_

Kitty leaned back against the kitchen counter, sipping her hot chocolate. She'd never been much of a coffee drinker. Wearing her favorite blue hoodie and jeans, she finally felt comfortable; the after-horrors of her dreams were wearing off the longer she was awake. Rogue strolled into the kitchen, wearing the green tank top Bobby had bought her the day after she'd come back to the mansion.

"Hey Kitty," she drawled with a grin.

Kitty smiled. "Hey."

Rogue opened the refrigerator door and poked her head inside. "Ain't there anythang ta eat around hear?" she asked.

"There's Lucky Charms in the cupboard above the stove," Kitty told her, motioning with her cocoa mug.

Rogue shook her head as she straightened, holding a bagel. "Ah don't lahk all that sugah in the morning. "Ah'll just have this," holding the bagel up.

Kitty nodded and took another sip. Rogue came and hoisted herself up to sit on the island in the middle of the kitchen. She took a bit of her bagel.

"So," she said thoughtfully as she swallowed, "how are you doing? You look a little tired this morning."

Kitty looked up at her friend. "I'm fine," she replied skeptically, unsure of where Rogue was taking this conversation.

"Well, ya know if ya evah want to talk to someone about what happened, Ah mean, Ah know Ah wasn't there, but Ah'd be happy ta listen if ya need me to."

"No, I'm fine really. I just had a late night, that's all." Kitty never told anyone about her nightmares; they'd assign her a shrink for sure if she knew about those.

"Ah mean, Ah know it can't be tha easiest thang ta talk about, and these thangs always take time ta cope with,"

"I'm fine, Rogue," Kitty cut her off, with a tone that let the other girl know Kitty would brook no arguments.

"Alright, Kitty. Whatevah ya say."

Rogue slid down from the island and walked out of the kitchen, throwing a worried look back at Kitty that made it clear she didn't believe her claims.

Kitty sighed heavily and set her hot chocolate on the counter beside her, her good mood completely ruined. All the images and sounds from her dreams threatened to overrun her mind. She reached into her hoodie pocket and pulled out her cell phone, punching in "1" on her speed dial.

"Hello?"

"Can you meet me at the Starbucks?" Kitty asked softly.

"I'll see you in twenty minutes." Immediate and reassuring.

Kitty hung up the phone and went to grab her car keys.

Sitting at the wrought iron café table, Kitty looked around for her best friend.

"Hey!" a voice called.

Kitty turned to face the girl walking towards her, and let a real smile blossom across her face. "Hey!" she responded with a wave.

At five feet six, with gorgeous curves, a classically beautiful face, long, dark dark dark red hair, and bright blue eyes, Lilly was Kitty's physical opposite in almost every way. The two had starting writing to each other through a pen-pal program when they were in seventh grade. Their friendship had grown until now they were as close as sisters, and were each others' almost sole companions. Lilly slid gracefully into the seat across from Kitty.

"What's wrong?" she asked bluntly. Lilly's refusal to beat around the bush was one of Kitty's favorite traits about her friend.

"I had a nightmare last night," Kitty told her.

Lilly leaned forward. "About Alcatraz?"

"Yeah," Kitty murmured. "I guess I was crying in my sleep, too. I woke up and my face was soaked."

Lilly sat back again and sighed. She looked out at the people and then looked at Kitty again. "Kitty," she said gently. "You're not telling me everything. What else is bothering you?"

For the first time since the battle, Kitty looked someone square in the eye, and told them everything, the words and tears just spilling out of her. The sadness, all the nightmares, being patronized by everyone around her, everything. And…

"It's John. I can't stop thinking about him. I saw him there, at Alcatraz. It doesn't make any sense! We didn't get along _at all_ when he was at the school. And then he just left, and it never really seemed real, I kept thinking it was just some big joke and he'd come walking back through that front door and he'd start being a jerk and throwing paper wads at the back of my head during class. But then I saw him there, standing with Magneto, and he looked so different, and mean and cold, and, and, and I…" Kitty had to stop and wipe roughly at her eyes with her sleeve. She looked at Lilly. "You're the telepath, what's the matter with me? Not the post traumatic stress junk, I know about all that, but why can't I stop thinking about John?!" She wiped at her eyes again.

"Kitty, he was your classmate. He was part of your life at the mansion, whether you liked him or not." Lilly sighed and smiled sadly at her friend. "You're so empathetic, Kitty. You feel sad for him, sad that things happened the way they did. You can't accept the fact that he_ chose_ to leave and become one of the bad guys. Your big heart's probably the same reason you're having so much trouble getting over Alcatraz; you've never seen suffering like that before."

Kitty stared at her friend. "Y'know, for someone who claims to hate book learning, you sure do know a lot about psychology."

Lilly grinned and shook her head ruefully. "No, I know my best friend. And besides, I have to know a little bit about how peoples' minds work or I'd never be able to make sense of all the voices in my head."

Kitty smiled back through the tears. "Well, thanks for letting this voice vent a little bit. To finally be able to tell someone, especially about John," she paused, "that helps. There's no one at the mansion that I can talk to about him."

"That's what I'm here for." Lilly tilted her head. "So you feel better?"

"Much."

"Good. Now listen to me Kitty," Lilly continued. "You've got to put this guy out of your mind, don't let him get to you. He's not worth it, I promise."

They were silent for a few minutes as they ordered a couple of Italian sodas. When they were about halfway through their drinks, and Kitty's tears had finally stopped, she looked up at Lilly.

"How have your powers been doing lately?" she asked. "Are you still having trouble controlling them?"

Lilly groaned. "With three inherited mutations and a natural mutation of my own? I don't think I'm ever gonna be able to completely control them." She looked at Kitty sharply. "But you're not gonna start feeling sad about me, too." She stood up and reached down to pull Kitty up with her. "C'mon. We're gonna go shopping until I hear you laugh, and you've got something super sexy to wear when for Girls' Night Out on Next Friday," she told her laughing.

Kitty laughed too, and eagerly jogged down the street with her friend, hair flying behind them.

Five hours late the two girls were saying good-bye next to Kitty's car. Lilly couldn't hug her friend anymore; these days, any physical contact made it even harder to control her mutations. Lilly had told Kitty once that the influx of thoughts and emotions into her mind distracted her, sometimes with disastrous results.

"So you'll call me the next time you have one of the dreams?" Lilly asked her.

"Yes, I'll call you," Kitty replied.

"No matter what time it is?"

"Even if I'm calling in the middle of Gilmore Girls, I'll call."

"You promise?"

Kitty grinned. "Yes, Lilly, I promise. You're such a good friend; I always feel better after we hang out."

"And you're the sweetest person a girl could ever want to know, sometimes I think you could convert any cynic. Even me."

The girls laughed as Kitty climbed into her car and drove away. Lilly stood for a moment and watched the taillights grow smaller. When she couldn't see them anymore, she turned and walked into the darkness.

Two hours later, Lilly was walking through a forest, making her way towards a certain tree. When she found it, she raised her hand and a large metal plate lifted up from the roots of the tree with a groan, revealing a metal staircase leading underground. The plate moved back into place behind her, with another groan. As she descended the stairs into a large all-metal room, Pyro and Juggernaut looked up from the computer at the desk.

"About time you got back," Pyro told her, immediately turning his attention back to the screen. "Everyone's been alerted. Now it's just a waiting game." He straightened and folded his arms across his chest.

Lilly kept walking across the room, towards her suite of rooms in the bunker.

"Hey Pyro," she said, not bothering to look at him.

"Yeah?"

"You're a jerk."

She disappeared in the shadows of the long hallway leading out of the planning room. Juggernaut and Pyro stared after her.

"What'd you do to her?" Juggernaut asked incredulously.

"Danged if I know," Pyro muttered callously. "Now come on, we've got to go over the final drafts of the plan, make sure we haven't missed anything."

Kitty settled herself into bed, pulling the blankets up over her shoulders. She reached up and turned off the bedside lamp on her dresser. She curled up under the covers and closed her eyes, smiling as she thought about the outfit Lilly had helped her pick out. Shopping with Lilly was always a riot. She couldn't wait for their Girls' Night Out next Friday… Kitty slept without dreaming.

Ok, I've stayed up 'til about 3:30 in the morning working on this. I couldn't rest until Chapter 2 was up and finished! Hope y'all like it; please read and review!


	3. Chapter 3 Truth is a Whisper

-1Chapter 3: Truth is a Whisper

Pyro took a sip from his mug and made a disgusted face. Ugh, he hated coffee. With a grimace, he swallowed again. But after two days without sleep, the caffeine was something he couldn't live without. He pulled four little paper sugar packets out of his jacket pocket, ripped them open and poured the sugar into the coffee as he sat down at the metal desk in the planning room. Not many people at the mansion had known it, but Pyro actually had a major sweet tooth, and he had had stashes of candy hidden throughout the school. Here in the Brotherhood, their constant state of motion made such caches impossible. Instead, he wore clothes with a lot of pockets, and filled them with miniature candy bars and restaurant sugar packs, so he could have his fix whenever he wanted it. He began typing, moving quickly from web page to web page. Mystique had started teaching him about electronic warfare the same night he'd left Alkali Lake with her and Magneto. About a year and a half ago, he'd advanced into government-level hacking. In three months, Mystique had declared that he knew everything there was to learn, and he was on his own. Since then, he had been tapping into the government's computer systems at least twice a day, keeping special tabs on the Department of Defense and the Department of Mutant Affairs. He also liked to check on the FBI and CIA; they speculations on the Brotherhood and its activities were pathetic. Better than the Comedy Channel for a laugh. But today, something new caught his eye. He leaned in closer to the computer screen to read the name of the file. Pyro frowned, and clicked on the file, breezing through the firewalls that flared. When he had full access, he began to read, his frown growing when he saw "Worthington Labs" in the opening paragraph. He scrolled down the page and continued to read.

_Truth is a whisper and only a choice_

_Nobody hears above this noise_

"No," he whispered.

He couldn't breathe. He couldn't move. _Oh God,_ he prayed silently. _Oh God, please no. Please…_

"If you don't take a breath, you're going to pass out where you sit, young man." A stern, aristocratic voice boomed in the silence, making Pyro jump and lean back against the chair. Magneto stood before him, dressed in civilian clothes, but looking as commanding as always. Pyro stared up at him, pale as snow, and Magneto's expression quickly turned to one of concern.

"What's happened?" he asked seriously.

"Eric," Pyro said, trying to keep his voice from breaking. "They…" He stopped, and simply turned the computer screen to face his leader. Magneto placed his hands on the desk and bent down to read, magnetically clicking the metal mouse button to move down the page. Finally, he stood up and stared down at the computer.

_Yeah I got caught in the ruse of the world_

_It's just a promise no one ever keeps_

"I have always been able to trust you to keep your head and never panic. For a moment, I was almost disappointed that something had finally been found that could frighten even you," Magneto finally said. He turned to Pyro, as pale as the young mutant sitting in front of him. "But now I can say nothing." There was a pause. "_I_ am frightened," he confessed quietly.

Pyro backtracked out of the government's computers, making sure to cover his electronic footprints behind him, then just stopped, hands still poised above the keyboard. They didn't move. They didn't speak. The silence echoed all around, beating against them like a thunderstorm. Finally Magneto stirred.

"Go get your duffel bag," he said quietly. "And find Juggernaut. We must leave immediately."

Pyro stood up. "Where are we going?" he asked in a subdued voice.

Magneto looked at him. "We are going to Xavier's."

_And now it's changing while we sleep_

_And no one can see_

Kitty woke up smiling. She stretched her arms above her head, letting her smile broaden into a full grin. She sat up and pulled her legs against her chest, resting her cheek on her knees and looking out he window. For the first time since watching the Cure announcement on television, she felt completely relaxed, like she could breathe again. _I need to have amazing dreams more often,_ she thought to herself, closing her eyes and enjoying the sunshine on her face.

_I need to question what I need_

_Rhythm of silence_

Kitty's eyes flew open. _Dream, what dream, what did I dream, can't remember, what…_ She gasped and sat up straight. _Oh no. Oh no oh no oh no oh no._ Her breath was fast and shallow as she remembered.

_John, kissing her neck, her collarbone, pressing his lips to hers, exploring her mouth with his tongue. He was hot, burning her with his lips his hands. John on top of her, the weight of him pressing down on her, heavy and delicious against her, overwhelming her. Touching her everywhere, as she lay completely naked beneath him. Kissing her belly, her hands, her jaw, her shoulders. His hands were fire, he was passion, pouring over her, enveloping her in himself. He held her, ravished her with his touch, his lips, he consumed her, seared her…_

Kitty put her hands over her face. "Oh my gosh," she moaned. How could she have dreamed about _John_?! And about _that_?! She'd dreamed about a make out and groping session with _John_! _JOHN!_ Kitty jumped out of bed and ran to the shower, turning the water temperature to COLD.

_That beats through your mind_

_Still you forget what you deny_

Kitty walked down the hall to the Professor's office. She liked to sit there when she needed peace and quiet. Oh, did she need quiet. The sound of a Zippo lighter opening and closing had followed her all morning. She put her hand on the doorknob, and slowly pushed the door open. Kitty stepped softly inside, enjoying the view through the French doors across from her. As she closed the door and stepped further inside the room, a familiar voice greeted her.

"Hello Kitty," the Professor said with a smile.

_Who's the one you answer to_

_Do you listen when he speaks_

Kitty spun towards the desk where he used to sit. "Professor?" she gasped. "But Dr. Grey…"

Professor Xavier smiled again, and stepped out from where he'd been standing behind the desk, and walked over to lay a hand on each of her shoulders.

"It's good to see you again, too," he told her.

Kitty grinned, and gave her mentor a fierce hug. The Professor patted her on the back, and she stepped back, trying not to giggle in glee. Xavier guided her over to one of the chairs in the room. Belatedly, Kitty noticed Storm, Logan, and Dr. McCoy sitting down as well; well, Logan was standing, and she wondered if he ever relaxed enough to sit. She sat down next to Dr. McCoy on the couch against the wall. The Professor sat behind his desk, and leaned forward, hands clasped before him.

"Now," he said. "We have much to do."

"What d'you mean?" Logan asked him.

_And do you find it hard to sleep_

_Or is it easy on your own_

"Things are changing, Logan," Xavier replied. "Something is happening, something very serious, but I don't know exactly _what_. The X-Men need to be prepared."

"How?" Kitty scooted forward on the couch to look at the Professor. "You mean more practices in the Danger Room?"

"Not quite, Kitty. We need to learn how to respond to everyday incidents, like car accidents, fires, and other natural disasters."

At the word "fires" Kitty felt her face grow warm, and hoped the adults wouldn't notice.

"We also need to connect better with the government," Xavier continued. "I have a feeling we're going to need them on our side in the coming days."

"You fear some sort of national incident, Charles?" Dr. McCoy studied the Professor with a worried look on his face.

"Yes, Hank, I do," was the response. Professor Xavier sighed. "I am very worried," he said quietly. "There is a great deal to fear in the coming days."

Kitty felt her muscles tensing again, all of her anxiety creeping back into her mind, twisting her nerves into their usual tight springs, bringing the heavy weight back into her heart.

_Will you ever find some peace_

_Before you're gone_

"What are we going to do?" she whispered.

"First, we must gather the other X-Men," the Professor told her. "Peter is here, but where are Bobby and Rogue?"

"They're spending the day in Manhattan together," Storm told him with a small smile.

"Really?" Xavier seemed pleased. "Well, I suppose we can explain things to them tomorrow. I would hate to interrupt."

Storm and Dr. McCoy laughed. "You _love _to interrupt, Professor," Storm told him through her chuckles. "And you know it!"

"I'm sorry, Charles, but Ororo is right," Dr. McCoy agreed. "Remember how you were always interrupting Scott and Jean on _their _dates?"

The Professor held up his hands in protest. "Inadvertent coincidences, nothing more!" he exclaimed. "I couldn't help it if they went out at the most inopportune times!"

"Riiight," Storm and Dr. McCoy said together.

Peter walked into the room suddenly. "Professor!" he cried in surprise. Xavier greeted him as he had Kitty, and after explaining his concerns to the young man, suggested they focus on their next course of action. For almost two hours they worked on strategies, new Danger Room programs, improving emergency drills in the School, and then the Professor asked Dr. McCoy how things stood in the government. The Ambassador sighed.

"The reelection of President Cockrum was obviously a victory - he's one of the most sympathetic to the mutant cause in Washington right now. But Secretary Trask worries me. The man is ruthless, and I don't know what lengths he is willing to go to in order to protect the government's interests."

"What about his interests?" Logan asked sarcastically.

Dr. McCoy shook his head. "Trask isn't that kind of man," he replied. "His motives are to do what is right by his country and his government, no matter what."

"A nationalist," Peter said.

"His country, right or wrong," Kitty agreed, resting her chin in her hand.

"Exactly." Dr. McCoy gave a decided nod. "It's my opinion that he's hiding something. At least from me, which makes me think that it has something to do with mutants."

Kitty and Peter looked at each other. "I don't think I like the sound of that," Kitty said nervously.

"Neither do I," Peter agreed.

"Hey, you're not gonna get any arguments from me," Logan said. "I been trying to tell you people that you can't trust the government for the past two years now. No offense, furball," he added offhandedly.

Dr. McCoy just an eyebrow at the hairy man, who was calmly smoking a cigar and ignoring him. Storm broke in to end the testosterone battle. "So how do we find out what Secretary Trask is up to?"

"Can we get into the government's computer systems somehow?" Kitty asked, perking up a little. She loved electronics, and had taken several advanced computer courses throughout high school; she was hoping she would get the chance to put her skills to good use. "Legally, of course," she added hastily when Dr. McCoy gave her a look.

_Truth is a whisper only a choice_

The door into the study burst open, and Bobby and Rogue came stumbling through into the room. Rogue was sobbing, and Bobby was trying to keep her from falling to the floor. Everyone jumped up and moved towards the couple.

"Don't touch me!" Rogue screamed through her tears.

"What happened?" Logan demanded, kneeling down to hover his hands over Rogue's shoulders. She was wearing a purple spaghetti-strap top, leaving most of her upper half bare.

"I don't know!" Bobby cried. "We were getting out of the bus, and this guy bumped into her, and…"

_Nobody hears above this noise_

"It didn't work, it didn't work, it didn't," Rogue broke into another sob.

Professor Xavier came and knelt in front of Rogue. "It's going to be alright," he told her soothingly. Kitty knew he was using his power to calm her down, Rogue's keening lessened in intensity. "Hank, take her down to the MediLab," Xavier whispered to his former student. Dr. McCoy nodded.

"Peter, help me move her," he said.

The young man nodded, and transformed his skin into its trademark metal, and scooped Rogue into his arms. They'd discovered soon after Rogue's arrival that Colossus was immune to her powers in his metal form. Bobby and Dr. McCoy followed him as he jogged out of the room. Kitty could hear Rogue's sobs ringing in her ears even after she knew were out of earshot.

_Yeah I got caught in the ruse of the world_

_It's just a promise no one ever keeps_

"The Cure didn't work," Storm whispered in shock. She looked at the Professor. "It didn't work."

"Is this what you meant?" Logan asked angrily. "Did you know this was gonna happen?!"

"No, Logan, I didn't," Professor Xavier told him. He sighed. "But I couldn't help but suspect it," he finished quietly.

Realization dawned in Kitty's mind. "Jimmy's powers are temporary, they only work when he's close to another mutant," she said. "There's no way the scientists could have altered his

X-gene to make it permanent, not if they couldn't even copy it."

The Professor nodded. "The problem now, becomes dealing with when and where these powers manifest themselves again."

Storm nodded in understanding. "If someone's driving,"

"Or out in a public place, like Rogue," Logan said.

"Oh my gosh," Kitty breathed. "What if a pilot…" she couldn't finish.

"Yes, Kitty," Xavier agreed. "It's a very dangerous situation. I had hoped against hope that I would be wrong, and for once, I am sorry that I am right."

"Wait a minute," Storm broke in. "We gave Magneto the Cure. Does that mean,"

"It does indeed," came a voice from across the room.

They all whirled around to find Magneto standing on the balcony, the doors flung wide. He smiled. "Aren't you going to invite me in?" he asked innocently.

Juggernaut stood to Magneto's right, arms crossed in front of his chest, a grin on his face. And to Magneto's left…

_You know all I am_

_Feel this moment in you_

John stood unmoving behind his leader, staring ahead stonily. Kitty felt her breath catch in her throat. She couldn't breath. She couldn't move. She felt like she was surrounded by fire. And the he looked at her, flames in his eyes.

Magneto stepped into the office. "Charles," he said, very grave. "We need to talk."

_Truth is a whisper only a choice_

_Nobody hears above this noise_


	4. Chapter 4 Feel the Silence

-1Chapter 4:

Kitty stood at the kitchen counter, measuring coffee grounds and water into the coffee pot. She hated coffee, but she wanted an unhealthy dose of caffeine in her system and all the Mountain Dews were gone. She was afraid to go to sleep; afraid of the dreams she'd have. Kitty sighed heavily adn leaned against the counter, waiting fo the coffee to brew. She'd gone to see Rogue earlier and had tried to comfort her, but Roge had been beyond anybody's kind words. Even Bobby couldn't cheer up the normally spunky Southerner. After leaving the MediLab, she and Peter had practiced in the Danger Room with Storm and Logan. They'd had to practice helping car accident victims. Kitty had hated it. She didn't want to think about havign to deal with the real thing. Seeing the holographic blood on her uniform had spooked her. To make the whole day worse, Magnet, and Professor, and John, hadn't come out of the Professor's office since the mutant extremists had arrived. Juggernaut had apprently been posted to the balcony, because he'd been staring out over the school grounds the whole afternoon. The French doors had been closed behind him though, so it was obvious he was as excluded as the rest fo the X-Men from the conversation in the office. Kitty sighed again. She knew that none of the X-Men were happy that the Professor wasn't including them. He had asked them to leave the room; and it made Kitty wonder why he wouldn't trust them. And how had the Professor survived? Why was Magneto even there? And why the heck did all of that not demand more of her attention than John?! Kitty jumped as the coffee pot beeped. She reached for the mug she'd pulled out and filled it halfway with coffee. She filled the other half with cream and added six heaping spoonfuls of sugar.

"Geez, Kitten, how can you drink that crap?"

Kitty jumped again, spilling the seventh spoon of sugar all over her hand and the counter. She whirled around to see John setting up a laptop at the kitchen table. Her heart was hammering so hard it hurt her. _He's right here, _she thought. _He's this close. Like nothing ever happened. Like he never left. I didn't even hear him come in..._

John looked up at her. "Well are you gonna answer me, or are you gonna just stand there staring at me all night?" he asked derisively.

Kitty caught her breath. "I, I, um..." She stopped, trying to gather her far-flung thoughts. She looked down at the mug she'd just picked up and then looked back up at John. "I don't, actually," she told him. "I really hate it. But I didn't want to go to sleep." She smiled shyly at him.

He snorted. "Isn't that why God made Mountain Dew?" he commented sarcastically.

"We're out," Kitty replied with a shrug.

They were silent for a few minutes as John began typing on the computer and Kitty sipped reluctantly on her ultra-sweet coffee. Kitty watched John closely as he worked. _She'd never been this close to him before_. He leaned in to the screen. Curious, Kitty stepped around to the other side of the kitchen island.

"What are you working on?" she asked him.

"Nothing I'm gonna tell you about, Kitten," he answered absently.

Kitty bristled. "You don't have to be so condescending," she told him coldly.

"_Condescending_?" He snorted. "Good grief, Kit-Kat, wha'd'you do, read the dictionary for fun?" He shook his head; his eyes had never left the screen.

Kitty pressed her lips together. She set her coffee cup down on the island and crossed her arms over her chest. "Just because you're insecure about your miniscule verbal abilities is no reason to be rude to those of us who can use something other than slang when we speak," she said acidly.

"Das anybody ever told you what horribly dorky insults you give?" John still hadn't looked at her. It was like she wasn't worthy of his attention; whatever was on his laptop held far more worth to him than she did. It shouldn't have bothered her, but it did.

"Has anybody ever told you that you're an arrogant, sarcastic, jerk-face?" she retorted.

"Much better, Kit-Kat. You're still a pathetic bleeding-heart X-loser, but at least you can throw out a barely substandard insult when you have to," came the caustic reply.

"How can you be so mean?" Kitty cried. "I _was_ trying to be nice to you!"

John finally looked at her. "Here's something the X-Men'll never teach you, Kitten." His eyes darkened, and there was something cruel in his face that made Kitty press back against the island. "Sometimes people are just mean. And someties, they enjoy being mean." His voice was cold and hard.

Kitty stared at him wide-eyed. He held her gaze a moment longer, then turned back to the computer and began typing again. Kitty swiftly left the kitchen. Pyro never moved.

Pyro opened the door to Kitty's room. He didn't make a sound. He just stood there, watching her sleep, her dark hair splayed over her pillow. Apparently, her coffee hadn't been able to keep her awake after all. It was nearly midnight and the mansion was quiet. He leaned back against the door, his hand still on the knob. She was safe. She was little and annoying, but she was safe. He didn't know why that mattered, but it id. Pyro closed the door and walked away down the hall.


	5. Chapter 5 So She Dances

-1Chapter 5: So She Dances

_A waltz when she walks in the room_

Pyro sipped his beer as he watched the crowd on the dance floor. He set the bottle on the counter and leaned back on his elbows on the counter, prepared to enjoy the view. Kitty had just walked out on the floor, and she was wearing what had to be the sexiest outfit that ever graced a woman's body. A soft looking black leather skirt, so short it made him smile to think what happened when she bent over. The black boots ankle boots showed off her toned legs. Her top was the same black leather, a tight, strapless thing, with corset lacing on the sides. He let a smirk cross his face. The little Kit-Kat was actually hot. He couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to touch her in that leather. Pyro chuckled. He was getting buzzed fast if the Kitten was looking good to him.

_She pulls back the hair from her face_

Still, he had to admit that she really did look good out there dancing. He took another swig of the beer. Kitty ran her hands up through her hair, letting it fall over her fingertips as she raised her arms above her head, waving them in time with the beat. She really looked good doing _that._ He laughed at himself as he drank. He was ogling the Kitty; what was wrong with him?

_She turns to the window _

_To sway in the moonlight_

One of the colored spotlights fell on her all of a sudden, bathing her in blue. Pyro choked on his drink, spitting beer. He stared at her, disbelieving. He didn't see the sexy leather, he just saw her. And _she was beautiful. _The way she moved was unbelievable. She twisted and turned, her hips swaying, body gyrating, every movement was fluid and sensuous.

_Even her shadow has grace_

He quickly took a big gulp of beer to recover himself. Then he tossed it against the wall. He should've stopped at three. This place doctored the drinks if Kitty was beautiful. Pyro ran his hands through his hair and blew out a breath. She'd better hurry up and finish this Girls' Night Out thing, or he was gonna get bored and buy more beer, and then he'd do something stupid, like let her know that he was following her.

_A waltz for the girl out of reach_

_She lifts her hands up to the sky_

The song changed, something faster, and he saw Kitty laugh, and change her rhythm. The Brotherhood had been at the mansion for three days now, and nobody had left the school. When Magneto found out that Kitty was going out, he told Pyro to follow her, make sure she wasn't letting anyone know where to find the Brotherhood. _Far cry from a government office_, Pyro thought. He was sitting in a bar, watching Kitty dance like a screaming professional dirty dancer, in black leather to boot.

_The song is her lover _

_The melody's making her cry_

Kitty doubled over suddenly, and he could tell that she was laughing. She held her side with one hand and reaching out to someone with the other. There were tears streaming down her face, and she fell against the other person, pulling them into Pyro's line of vision.

_So she dances_

_In and out of the crowd like a glance_

Pyro straightened in shock. _It was Lilly! _Kitty was dancing at a bar with the Sundance Kid! He couldn't believe it. Lilly was fraternizing with the enemy! _Kitty _was fraternizing with the enemy and he would bet his lighter that she didn't even know it! This was too beautiful. This was more than beautiful. The two girls walked off the dance floor and sat in a booth. He quickly slid off the stool. No way was he going to miss this. On his way to the booths, he grabbed a waiter and told him what to have the DJ play next. As he sat down, the music changed, slow and quiet, and he could hear the conversation behind him clearly.

"Oh my gosh," Kitty laughed. "You are so funny. Oh, my side still hurts."

"But it's true," Lilly told her. "Didn't we pick out the perfect outfit? You could get any guy in that rig."

"Yeah, but I don't look like a trollop! I could never pull that off. You'd be better at that than I would."

"What d'you mean by that?" Lilly asked, sounding a little hurt.

"Well I didn't mean it like _that_,' Kitty replied. "But I mean, at least you've got the bazooms to pull of the trollop look!"

Lilly laughed so hard she fell out of the booth. Pyro turned to look at her. He'd _never_ heard Lilly laugh before. Now she was clutching the table for dear life, laughing so hard she couldn't breathe. He saw her grab at something on the table, and then brought an inhaler to her lips. After a moment she crawled back into the booth. For the next hour, Pyro sat listening to girl talk, and while enlightening on some points, he couldn't say he thought it was worth wasting a Friday night over. Three Bloody Mary's came to the table, and Pyro knew that Lilly was drinking illegally again. He was surprised that Kitty didn't raise any objections. He'd always had her pegged as a pretty straight-laced kinda girl. Straight-laced in more ways then one, now, he observed with a leer, raising his drink to his lips.

"So, what's new at the mansion?" Lilly asked, suddenly.

"The Brotherhood has moved in, the Professor is back, and I had a steamy dream about me and John."

Pyro snorted beer out of his nose.

"You _what_?"

"I dreamed we were, kinda, getting it on."

"With _John_?!"

"I know!"

"Well, have you seen him since then?" Lilly asked.

"Yeah, I've seen him." Pyro could tell from her tone that she was thinking about the other night.

"What happened?" Lilly demanded.

"We fought, and he put his hands on my hips, and I ran away, and then I ran back and I kissed him," Kitty said in a rush.

"_You didn't!_"

"I did!"

Lilly was silent for a moment. "Well did you slip him any tongue?" she asked in disbelief.

Pyro would have sworn he could hear Kitty's smile. "I'd say more than a little," she said shyly. He took another drink. He couldn't believe he was listening to this.

There was a longer silence. "Well," Lilly paused. "What did he taste like?"

"Like fire."

Pyro snorted beer again.

_So she dances_

Pyro stood outside the bar, waiting for Lilly to emerge. It was nearly one in the morning. Lilly and Kitty had made it to the glass doors, when Kitty rushed back inside. He watched as Lilly waited a moment, then stepped out into the fresh air. He walked over to her.

"You're certainly keeping interesting company, Sundance."

Lilly turned to face him, arms folded across her chest. So he hadn't surprised her. That was the problem when you had to work with psychics.

"What are you doing here?" she asked acidly.

"I _was_ going to keep Kit-Kat from telling anybody about the Brotherhood being at the school, but since you're the only person she told, it doesn't really matter, now does it?" He sneered at her, contempt dripping from his words.

Lilly scowled and looked away.

"What, is something the matter with the Sundance Kid? Are you upset 'cause you got caught with one of _them_? Does she even know who you are? Whose side you're on?"

His barrage was met with angry silence.

"She doesn't, does she?" he asked quietly, cruelly. "This is hysterical. Do you have any idea how messed up this is? Who do you think you are?" he yelled. "You're dancing on both sides of the line here, Lilly!"

_In and out of the crowd like a glance_

"Shut up!" she hissed fiercely, facing him again. "I am not one of them, and you know it, you arrogant cuss! We just hang out, okay? There's nothing wrong with that!"

"Don't feed me that bull!" he cried. "You were sitting there pumping her for information about what we've been doing at the mansion!"

Lilly gasped. "You think I need Kitty to get my information? You're dumber than I thought, Pyro!"

Pyro saw Kitty coming towards the door in his peripheral vision. "I'm outta here. You better make up your mind, Lilly. It's them or us. You don't have a middle ground to play with here." He started to walk away.

"I know what's going on," Lilly called after him. Pyro froze.

"What are you talking about?" he said over his shoulder.

"I know what you found," she told him.

"You're lying." He began walking again.

"I know about Sentinel," she called.

Pyro jerked back around but was forced to duck into the shadows of an alley as Kitty jogged up to her friend.

Kitty strolled into the kitchen and found Pyro typing on his computer again. "Hey," she said nonchalantly.

He glanced at her but didn't say anything. Kitty shrugged and pulled a bottle of water out of the fridge.

_A waltz for the chance I should take_

"What's with the outfit, Kit-Kat? Planning on getting a little action in tonight?"

_But how will I know where to start_

Kitty blushed. "No!" she replied indignantly. "It was just for fun, for my Girls' Night Out tonight with my friend Lilly."

Pyro turned to look at her, draping one arm over the back of his chair. He ran his gaze up and down her body lazily, taking in every part of her. "Yeah, plenty of fun for everyone looking at you," he told her.

"Oh, shut up," she said sullenly.

"Make me." He grinned. "The way you did the other night."

"I…" Kitty stared at him wide-eyed. "Um,"

_She's spinning between constellations and dreams_

Pyro just smiled at her, letting his lust reach his eyes.

_Her rhythm is my beating heart_

"C'mon, Kitten. Dance for me like you danced at that bar."

He hadn't thought her eyes could get any bigger, but apparently he was wrong.

"You were _there_?" she squeeked. "You were _watching_ me?"

He tilted his head. "Had to make sure you weren't telling the cops where the Brotherhood was staying," he said casually. "So how often do you and Sundance have these Girls' Nights Out?"

Kitty's gaze grew wary. "How do you know about Lilly's mutant name?" she asked guardedly.

Pyro's smile turned to a sneer. "If I were you, I'd ask your friend a little more about her day job, Kit-Kat."

Now he'd made her angry. "You're just out to hurt people, John. That's all you care about, making everyone around you suffer," Kitty spat.

_I can't keep on watching forever_

Pyro got up and stood in front of her. He rested his hands on the counter on either side of her, leaning in and invading her personal space.

_I'd give up this view just to tell her_

"You talk about me hurting people, you could kill a man in that get up, Kitten," he said, smirking. It had to be the beer making him do this.

"Knock it off, John." She put a hand on his chest as though to push him away. He didn't budge. She didn't have the strength to make him leave.

_A waltz for the girl out of reach_

He decided to throw her off balance. She deserved it really, the way she'd been annoying him for the past three days. She'd done nothing but glare at him and lecture him, and nag him about his drinking, and she kept asking what he was doing on his laptop.

"I think we should go upstairs," he told her. "To my room. I wanna know if that double bed really does hold two."

That shut her up. "Are you insane?" she whispered. "I'm not gonna sleep with you!"

Pyro smiled and leaned down further, letting his lips brush against hers. "I didn't say we were gonna sleep," he said wickedly.

"You really are crazy!" Kitty cried. "Did you get drunk at that bar? Cause if you did, then you get off of me right now! And it's illegal for you to be drinking; you're not twenty-one!"

He moved his head back just a little. "You didn't care when it was Lilly drinking," he accused her.

"That's different," she told him, exasperated. "You don't know Lilly. I tried to get her to stop a long time ago, but there are just some things that she's gonna do, and nobody's going to stop her."

"Fine, but don't nag me about drinking when I'm closer to legal than your best friend is."

_I can't keep on watching forever_

Kitty glared at him. "I'll nag you about whatever I want, John Allerdyce."

"Not if I make you stop," he said coldly.

"You can't make me do anything, you pervert!" Kitty cried. "Now get off of me!"

"No," quietly.

"Don't tell me no!"

"I'll tell you whatever I want," roughly, moving his face towards hers again.

_And I'm giving up this view just to tell her_

Kitty felt her heart beat faster. She was certain he could feel it, he was standing so close. She'd grabbed his jacket with both hands in her anger, and she accidentally pulled him slightly towards her as she started to squirm away. It was all the encouragement John needed. He softly placed his lips on hers, tenderly teasing a response out of her. It was slow and sweet and beautiful. He ran his tongue across her bottom lip, and she hesitantly let him in. As the kiss deepened, he brought a hand up to tangle in her hair and cradle the back of her head, letting his other hand take gentle hold of her waist and pull her closer to him. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and still it was all so languid and soft, and loving. He could do this forever. He could easily imagine coming home to Kitty every night and kissing her just like this. But where would he be coming home from? Missions with the Brotherhood? Yeah, like that was gonna make for a great home life. Forget it. He'd take what he could get in the here and now. Besides, toying with her like this was perfect requital for her incessant nagging. But how could someone so pesky taste so good?

Behind them, on the kitchen table, John's laptop sat forgotten.

A folder icon was blinking on the screen.

_Worthington Industries Contracts_.

And next to it, another.

_Sentinel._


End file.
